Lisfranc injuries

A stable foot is a essential for normal walking running or jumping. The foot is really a big lever wrench that our strong calf muscles can act upon.

The Lisfranc ligament (named after a napoleonic surgeon) is a really strong ligament that holds the midfoot together and makes it rigid, which means that it can act as a solid lever and doesn't bend in the middle.

Model of the foot, the red mark indicates the 'Lisfranc joint'

If the Lisfranc ligament is injured, the midfoot becomes unlocked and the foot can no longer function as a stable lever, this can be greatly debilitating, and limits function quite dramatically.

Lisfranc injuries often present with a great deal of swelling in the foot, and the foot shape often looks slightly odd. There is often very little to see on simple X-rays, and this is why diagnosis of these injuries can be delayed.